Float valve for air filters



March 25, 1947. G. FRANKLlN 2,417,976

` FLOAT VALVE FOR AIR FILTERS Filed July 29, 1944 A ttoneys PatentedMar. 25, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FLOAT VALVE FOR AIR. FILTERSGodfrey Franklin, Vallejo, Calif. `Application July 29, 1944, Serial No.547,156

1 Claim.

The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in floatValves for air filters designed for removing moisture from air wherebyto produce dry air for use in various types of air machinery.

An important object of the` present invention is to provide in an airlter including a tank in which the moisture is collected floatcontrolled means providing for the drainage of the water from the tankwith the float vented to the interior of the tank.

A further object of the invention is to provide means of the characterindicated of simple and practical construction, which is efcient andreliable in performance, relatively inexpensive to manufacture andotherwise well adapted for the purp-oses for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein likenumerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which- Figure l is avertical sectional view through the filter.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially on a line 22 of Figure l.

Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein for the purpose ofillustration I have disclosed a preferred embodiment of the invention,the numeral designates a tank generally which includes a bottom portionEi and top portion or section l', the abutting edges of the sections andl being formed with flanges 8 for connecting the sections in air-tightengagement by bolts 9.

A filtering element is positioned in the upper section l and includes alower perforated copper plate Ill above which is positioned a copperscreen II and above the latter is placed a layer of absorbent cotton iZ.Against the top of the upper section l is placed a copper screen I3below which is positioned a layer of absorbent cotton I4 and between thelayers of cotton I2 and I4 is placed a quantity of charcoal I5. Studs I6project downwardly from the top of the upper section l through thefiltering elements 4I, I2, I3 and I4 and i5, and also through the lowercopper plate Ill, the lower ends of the studs being provided with wingnuts Il by means of which the filtering elements may be compressedbetween the plate IU and the top of the section l.

A moist air inlet pipe I8 enters the side of the lower section 6 of thetank, the inner end of the pipe extends upwardly as shown at 2U fordirecting air against the underside of a horizontal de- Cil iiector 2|supported on the inner end of the pipe I8 by means of brackets 22. Thedeilector'ZI being disposed in slightly spaced relation above thedischarge end of the pipe I8. The deector 2l is spaced below the plateI3 of the lter so that moist air entering the tank under pressure willbe distributed throughout the underside of the filter.

A dry air discharge pipe 23 is connected to the top of the upper sectionl of the tank for conveying the air to the desired air machinery, thepipe 23 also having a control valve 24 therein.

Also threaded in the top of the upper section 'I is a tube 25 having aplug 26 threaded in its upper end to close the top of the tube. The tubeextends downwardly through the lter elementsl and downwardly through theplate I!) to a point below the discharge end of the pipe I8, the lowerend of the tube being open. I

A drain pipe 2l is attached to the bottom of the lower section 6 of thetank, the outer end of the pipe 2l' having a pop-off valve 28 ofconventional construction attached thereto and to the inner end of thepipe 2l is attached a guide 29 having a drain passage 3i) therein formedwith a seat 3I for a needle valve 32 projecting downwardly from thelower end of a hollow metal float 33, the float having a hollow stem 34rising therefrom and entering the tube 25 in spaced relation from thewalls of the latter. The upper end of the stem 34 is open and isprovided with laterally extending tongues 35 spacing the stem from thetube.

In the operation of the device moist air entering the lower section ofthe tank 6 through the pipe I8 will pass upwardly through the lteringelement whereby the moisture is removed from the air and the dry airexhausted through the pipe 23. Moisture removed Yfrom the air will becollected in the lower portion of the section 6 of the tank and uponreaching a, predetermined level will raise the float 33 whereby topermit drainage of the moisture through the pipe 2l.

Air within the tank is permitted to enter the oat 33 through the tube 25and/stem 34 whereby to equalize pressure within the oat to preventcollapsing thereof.

The plug 26 in the upper end of the tube 25 functions as an adjustablestop for the upper end of the stem 34 whereby to regulate the openingmovement of the needle valve 32 Vcontrolled by the oat 33.

It is believed that the details of construction and manner of use of thedevice will be readily understood from the foregoing without furtherdetailed explanation.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

A tank adapted to collect moisture in the bottom thereof, .a drain pipein the bottom of the tank, a valve controlling said drain pipe, a oatlconnected. to the valve for operating the latter, said oat beinghollow, a hollow stem rising from the float, a tube extending downwardlyin the tank forming a guide for the stem, said stem being spaced fromthe walls of the tube and open at its top to admit air from the tankinto the float, and an adjustable stop in the tube for the stem to limitopening movement of the Valve, saidstop closing the upper end of thetube and being GODFREY -ERANKLIN.`

4 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,871,546 McClaferty Aug. 16,1932 2,033,368 Altgelt Mar. 10,1936 1,830,022 Fourness Nov. 3,19311,895,084 Peltier Jan. 24, 1933 1,663,411 Little Mar, 20, 1928 401,701Grau v k A131'.v 16, 1889 129,885 Dustin July 30, 1872 1,845,129 CoahranFeb. 16, 1932 K FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date y 341,918 ItalianJuly 16, 1936

